Game Night
by sangreal7
Summary: Hotch and Haley share Game Night with the BAU team.  An expansion of the scene at the Sports Bar from the beginning of the Season 2 Episode, The Big Game.


**A/N: I wrote this story for my dear friend, Harleyzgrl, for her birthday. She very graciously consented to have me share it.  
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**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Criminal Minds. I'm just playing a little :)**

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"So are we going?" Aaron Hotchner turned to his wife. Haley stood beside their bed folding the last of a pile of laundry. He watched her hands make swift and sure work of the mundane task and he smiled softly.

"I guess we …" Looking up to answer her husband's question, Haley paused when she saw the look on Aaron's face, asking her own question instead. "What?"

"Hmm?" Aaron murmured absently, continuing to stare at her with that same smile on his face as he leaned against the dresser. It made him look younger … reminded her of the awkward, but wonderfully endearing teenager with whom she'd first fallen in love.

"What's the dopey little grin for?" Haley clarified, transferring the last pile of clothes to the closet shelf behind her.

"Oh!" Aaron looked startled for a moment, not realizing he'd been caught staring. In a split second, however, the little smile changed to a broader, more sensual one. Haley watched him push off from his position against the cherrywood dresser and make his way over to her with a purposeful stride.

Smiling herself now as she recognized the look on Aaron's face, Haley raised her face to meet his as he pulled her into his arms and leaned down to kiss her. The kiss began in tenderness, but as usual, it quickly escalated into something deeper. Sliding her hands up to Aaron's shoulders, Haley gripped hard for a moment as his tongue played with hers, demanding more from her. When his hands moved to tangle in her long blond hair, however, she gave a firm push and catching Aaron off guard, slipped out of his embrace.

Heading swiftly for the bathroom, she called over her shoulder, "Sorry honey, no time for that now … we've got to go meet your team!"

Listening to her naughty giggle as she closed the bathroom door, Aaron chuckled softly, running a hand through his dark hair. The action made it stick up in front more than usual. Aaron didn't notice because his gaze was not on the dresser mirror in front of him, but instead on closed bathroom door through which his wife had just disappeared.

"Lady," he murmured to himself with a quiet snicker, "you are _so_ going to pay for that later."

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Almost five hours later, Aaron and Haley were seated, together with Penelope Garcia, at a small table in the BAU team's semi-regular hangout. The annual Super Bowl party at _The Auld Dubliner_ was a team tradition. They'd always watch the game, and then hang out afterward. This year, they were missing Gideon however. He had planned to join them, but had called Hotch and canceled earlier in the day, citing a meeting with an old friend. Everyone else was there. JJ was currently beating two guys at darts, while Reid chatted with some friends he'd happened to meet.

Aaron looked up to see Emily Prentiss returning to the table, her hands full of drinks. She was weaving her way through the small crowd of dancers, most of whom were female and seemed to be gathered around Derek Morgan. Prentiss laughingly said something to him and the latter responded with a laugh of his own.

Arriving at the table, Prentiss put the drinks down, saying as she did, "Here we go."

Both Hotch and Haley reached for their drinks, and then all three raised their glasses, clinking them together with a mutual, "Cheers!"

Taking a sip of her drink, Haley asked, "So how are they treating you at the BAU, Emily?"

Before Prentiss could respond, Aaron cut in dryly, "She means '_Am I being nice to you?_'"

Prentiss laughed as Haley pointed at her husband, nodding in agreement with his correction. Then she answered, "Actually, everyone's been incredibly nice."

"Good." Haley nodded in satisfaction, as Aaron smirked slightly.

They were distracted by Penelope, who sat with her back to them. She was clearly watching Morgan dance. "Look at him move. He's like a cat!"

Hotch shook his head, smiling quietly.

"More like a dog!" Prentiss responded with a laugh, as Haley covered her mouth with one hand to contain her own guffaw.

"He did not ask them to dance." Penelope defended Morgan immediately. "They asked him!"

"Okay … okay," Prentiss responded in disbelief. "He's a cat."

"An alley cat!" Haley cut in instantly, causing Prentiss to laugh again.

Hotch laughed at the interplay between the women, before taking hold of his wife's hand and saying, "C'mon Haley, let's go show them how it's done."

"I'm game if you are!" Haley responded with a grin, allowing Aaron to raise her hand over the heads of Penelope and Emily and lead her out onto the dance floor.

Despite the slightly upbeat hip hop music that was playing, Aaron pulled Haley into his arms, grinning as she settled her body against him in a move that was at once comfortable and undeniably sexy.

"Careful, Mrs. Hotchner." Aaron warned teasingly. "You're starting something you're not going to be able to finish."

"Says who?" Haley teased back, "I think I'm pretty good at _finishing_ what I start."

The play on words made Aaron throw back his head as he laughed out loud. Leaning close to her again, he whispered in Haley's ear, "I guess I should know by now not to challenge you."

Feeling her little shiver against him, Aaron tugged Haley closer, molding her body to his as they danced. No more words passed between them for a little while, as they continued to move to the music. It wasn't long however, before Aaron leaned away to look at Haley.

"Jessica has Jack for the night."

"Umm … I know." Haley sounded puzzled. "We dropped him off on the way over here."

"Merely stating the obvious." Aaron responded with another quick smile, his dark eyes dancing.

"Just what are you thinking, Aaron Hotchner?" Haley fixed him with a curious gaze. She knew her husband well enough to recognize when he was up to something.

As the music changed and slowed to a groovy R&B tune, Aaron answered, "I'm thinking that maybe it's time for us to get out of here, head home, and pick up where we left off earlier." He favoured her with a teasing smirk. "Maybe we can work on a sister for Jack."

"You had better be kidding, mister!" Haley fired back instantly, laughter filling her eyes. "It is _way_ too soon for you to even be thinking that!"

Leaning in to kiss her ear softly, Aaron murmured against it, "Well, we can just practice a lot, so we're ready when it is time."

Laughing again at his attempts to persuade her, Haley savoured the feel of the closeness between them as they danced. They had not had many opportunities for this since Jack had been born. She was reluctant to give it up just yet.

"Let's stay a little longer." She encouraged, "I want to dance with you some more."

"Hmm … sounds good." Aaron responded, wrapping his arms even more closely around her as they moved together to the rhythmic music.

As he pressed his lips gently into his wife's blond hair, Aaron reflected that right at that moment, if anyone asked him how he was feeling, he would respond with only a single word.

Happy.

FIN


End file.
